Sunday, July 20, 2008

Israel's UNwanted Guests

There is an animosity in Israel, among Israelis, towards the United Nations. Sometimes, the absurdity of how often little Israel is condemned (compared to Libya, Iran, Syria, Lebanon and even Sudan/Darfur) brings us to choose laughter more than anger. Sometimes, though, the obscenity of this world organization and its local representatives is so reprehensible, we can't even bring ourselves to laugh.

Despite the UN's inability to see anything but the Arab side in almost every vote, one might have expected it to at least realize the indecency of celebrating and saluting child killers, murderers and terrorists...of course, in Israel, we remember that a line is drawn and a difference marked - when the victims are "only" Israelis and Jews. And yet, given the pain this recent "deal" has brought home to Israel, one might well understand the anger this news (from Israel National News) evokes:
Israel has protested the action of two United Nations Interim Forces (UNIFIL)
soldiers who were photographed by the Associated Press while saluting coffins of
Hizbullah terrorists freed by Israel. UNIFIL is mandated to patrol southern
Lebanon and prevent Hizbullah from re-arming. Its original mandate also calls on
them to disarm the terrorist organization, but UNIFIL officers said at the
outside of their mission they would not try to carry out the orders.

Further evidence on the UN's endless targeting of Israel can be found at: http://www.eretzyisroel.org/~jkatz/unitednations.html

Here is just a sample:

Security Council:
  • 175 Total Resolutions
  • 74 Neutral
  • 4 Against the perceived interests of an Arab state or body
  • 97 Against Israel
General Assembly:
  • Cumulative Number of Votes cast with/for Israel: 7,938.
  • Cumulative Number of Votes cast against Israel: 55,642.

SECURITY COUNCIL 1946-89

Frequency:
Since the Council first convened in 1946, at least one Arab state sat on it in 39 of the body's first 43 years. Israel never sat on the Council. From December 1947, when the 'Palestine Question' first appeared on its agenda, to 1989, the Council held 2,682 meetings of which 747 (26%) were devoted to the Arab-Israeli conflict. During this period, the Council passed 605 resolutions of which 175 (29%) concerned this conflict.

Balance or Tilt:
Of these 175, 74 (42%) may be labeled neutral or balanced. Of the remaining 101, 4 (4%) criticized or opposed the actions, or judged against, the perceived interests of an Arab state or body. Ninety-seven resolutions (96%) were critical, or opposed the actions, or judged against the perceived interests of Israel. The last time a resolution passed the Security Council whose major thrust criticized Arab actions was on September 1, 1949.

Requests:
Between 1947 and 1989, the Council 'called upon,' 'demanded,' 'requested' etc. Israel to 'comply,' 'desist,' 'refrain' etc. 123 times. An Arab state, states or body was 'called upon' 'ordered' 'requested' 65 times, or 47% less.

Specificity:
In these requests, Israel was explicitly named 105 times. References to Arab states were usually implicit, as in '...the parties concerned'. An Arab state was identified by name 12 times.

Expressions:
The Council expressed its 'concern,' 'grave concern,' 'regret,' 'deep regrets,' 'shock' etc. about Israeli actions 31 times. Regarding Arab actions, the Council never expressed negative sentiments.


Condemnations:
The Council 'condemned, 'censured,' 'deplored,' 'strongly deplored' etc. Israel 49 times. The Council never 'condemned,' 'censured,' 'deplored' etc. the Arabs.

Warnings:
The Council 'warned,' 'solemnly warned' etc. Israel 7 times. The Council never warned the Arabs.
The above data concern the entire post-war period until 1989, but by isolating the period June 1967-1989, the numbers rise into even starker relief



2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I believe that the deal shouldn't have been made, but the question that Israelis should be asking now is what you should be doing next!

Did you know that two thousand years ago a Roman citizen could walk across the face of the known world free of the fear of molestation. He could walk across the earth unharmed, cloaked only in the words Civis Romanis I am a Roman citizen. So great was the retribution of Rome, universally understood as certain, should any harm befall even one of its citizens.

Where was Ehud Goldwasser's protection, or Eldad Regev's? Where is the retribution for the families and where is the warning to the rest of the world that Israelis shall walk this earth unharmed, lest the clenched fist of the most mighty military force in the history of the Middle East comes crashing down on your house!? In other words, what the hell is the Israeli government doing here?

Anonymous said...
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